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Not to be outdone...CBS Sports Radio starts Jaunary '13

S

ShawnHill1

I came across this on the506.com, with the press release coming from the Eye itself...

http://www.cbspressexpress.com/cbs-radio/releases/view?id=32154

Programming will be 24/7, with all or some of it airing on all of CBS' sports-talk stations; Cumulus is partnering with CBS to market and distribute the new network to stations, and programming will also air on Cumulus' sports-formatted stations (KNBR, WCNN, KTCK [who will share programming with CBS-owned KRLD-FM], etc.)

The only major market, at least so far, that hasn't signed up is Los Angeles; CBS sold-off KFWB (more accurately, put it into a trust), which would have been a logical place to carry CBS Sports Radio, seeing as that they're the radio flagship of the Clippers and still carries other sports at times.
 
So now we have four sports radio networks associated with the big four TV networks, plus Yahoo.

Prediction: Yahoo either merges with one of the two new sports networks or just folds. There can't be that many radio stations across the country to warrant five major sports radio networks.
 
What's to "merge"? Czaban? And remember, Brando's already connected to CBS Sports Net.

This is devasting to Gow/YSR. Not only do they lose the ability to claim some major market affiiates like The Ticket in Dallas and The Score in Chicago (fringe clearances but still "affiliations"), they now find themselves unable to grow network clearances in the future. Remember CBS, Cumulus and FSR (Clear Channel) all bring their own station groups in as forced affiliations. The fourth net, NBC, doesn't own radio stations but has partnered with the biggest radio network distribution company in Dial Global. They bring a lot of sports content through Westwood One to hundreds of stations and can leverage those clearances to force clearance of NBC's new content (at the expense of Gow/YSR).
 
DToTheJ said:
So now we have four sports radio networks associated with the big four TV networks, plus Yahoo.

Prediction: Yahoo either merges with one of the two new sports networks or just folds. There can't be that many radio stations across the country to warrant five major sports radio networks.
Click to expand...

One thing I can predict as almost a certainty, speaking of Yahoo...I think Tim Brando's radio show makes it way eventually to CBS Sports Radio. Also, I know that Jim Rome signed a long-term deal with Premiere/Clear Channel a few years ago, and I'm sure CBS Radio will be bidding for his services once that deal is up.
 
You know who else might take a bit of hit? ESPN Radio.

I went through the list of stations listed on the press release, and nearly of all of them have an ESPN Radio affiliation. If NBC can bolster its station lineup, ESPN can be in a bit of trouble as well as Yahoo.
 
Personally I don't understand why this took so long. ESPN has basically had a monopoly for a long time. Lots of radio stations are running sub-par stuff because they can't get ESPN. NBC and CBS were also VERY late to creating sports channels on cable. Did they think ESPN was a fad? That were was no money in sports? Where have they been?

Now if I'm ESPN Radio, I may be wondering why my syndicator (Cumulus) is so cozy with the competition.
 
EJM said:
I'd be wondering about any potential discussions between CBS and Cumulus concerning CBS Radio News.
Click to expand...

In the short term, how do they handle CBS News content that might be used in CBS Sports and vice versa?
 
I think there had been rumblings of CBS Sports possibly doing this for some time, but nobody noted anything solid. Or were we just not paying attention? Sports FM launches in outlets in Boston, Dallas, Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and Washington D.C. over the last few years, with Tampa soon to join...perhaps these launches had more long-term planning than anyone knew.

If there's a loser to this, I don't think it's ESPN, Fox, or Yahoo. It's NBC--they just publicized plans for a slow, modest rollout of a sports radio network featuring updates and two long-form shows at night. Now here comes CBS Radio and Cumulus working together with a 24/7 effort that will have definite major market clearances in January 2013.

Fox and Yahoo have fighting chances, thanks to small market affiliates needing cheap programming (compared to ESPN, who charges). NBC Sports Radio could be DOA.
 
Except Dial Global is likely bundling NBC content clearance with their hugely popular NFL Play By Play package from their other "division" Westwood One. "You want NFL from WW1, then you'll clear our NBC shows."
 
EJM said:
As far as ESPN Radio's future with Cumulus goes, unnamed sources have been talking with Dow Jones and Crain's New York Business.
Click to expand...

Thanks for posting that. I heard relations between Citadel and ESPN had been contentious prior to the purchase by Cumulus. So I'm not surprised. ESPN seems to be taking charge of its radio product more lately, as evidenced by what they did in NYC.
 
Oh Joy, just what we need, another "sports network" to bloviate 24/7 about the National Boring Association and giving verbal blow jobs to Tim Tebow and LeBron James like Stephen A. Stiff, Skip Clueless, Mike and Mike and Colin Cowherd do now at ESPN. I can hardly wait for it.
 
CBS Radio CEO Dan Mason was interviewed by Mike Francesa on WFAN New York on Thu. 6/21/12 regarding the CBS Sports Network venture. Dan is on for about 4+ minutes of the 8 1/2 minute clip.

Podcast player link here.

MP3 download link here.
 
Yes, I talked on this very board about CBS launching in-house programming for off-hours at its growing list of sports stations, ala Jon Grayson's "Overnight America" on the talk side (now syndicated by Dial Global). That rumor was kicking around at about the time CBS launched "92.3 The Fan" in Cleveland.

I didn't expect this, tho!

Wow.
 
ShawnHill1 said:
The only major market, at least so far, that hasn't signed up is Los Angeles; CBS sold-off KFWB (more accurately, put it into a trust), which would have been a logical place to carry CBS Sports Radio, seeing as that they're the radio flagship of the Clippers and still carries other sports at times.
Click to expand...

Think FM. Is "Jack" weak enough to kill?
 
Speculation on shows? I figure WFAN's Boomer & Carton is in network's morning show plans.
 
tomficker said:
I expect a Yahoo and NBC or Yahoo and (heaven forbid) Fox Sports Radio deal.
Click to expand...

A Yahoo and NBC deal might be better then a Yahoo and Fox Sports Radio deal. Especially since Yahoo's morning show host(Steve Czaban) worked for FSR for several years, and was replaced by Stephen A. Smith of all people.

I mean it's only one show, but if I were in Steve's shoes, there's no way I would want to go back to somewhere that replaced my show with Stephen A. Smith(which of course was a colossal failure for FSR).
 
socalguy said:
What's to "merge"? Czaban? And remember, Brando's already connected to CBS Sports Net.

This is devasting to Gow/YSR. Not only do they lose the ability to claim some major market affiiates like The Ticket in Dallas and The Score in Chicago (fringe clearances but still "affiliations"), they now find themselves unable to grow network clearances in the future. Remember CBS, Cumulus and FSR (Clear Channel) all bring their own station groups in as forced affiliations. The fourth net, NBC, doesn't own radio stations but has partnered with the biggest radio network distribution company in Dial Global. They bring a lot of sports content through Westwood One to hundreds of stations and can leverage those clearances to force clearance of NBC's new content (at the expense of Gow/YSR).
Click to expand...

I'm wondering if either CBS Sports Radio might either in the future merge with YSR, or out and out bring YSR under the CBS Sports Radio umbrella.

I say that because of Tim Brando being on CBS Sports Network(albeit simulcasted) already. I'm also wondering if in the future, when it comes time for Jim Rome's radio deal to be renewed, if he might bolt to CBS Sports Radio because of him being there on TV already.

Granted ESPN had him for quite a while, and he was still doing radio for Premiere, but who's to say if things will change in the next couple years.
 
Scoobyfan1 said:
I'm wondering if either CBS Sports Radio might either in the future merge with YSR, or out and out bring YSR under the CBS Sports Radio umbrella.

I say that because of Tim Brando being on CBS Sports Network(albeit simulcasted) already. I'm also wondering if in the future, when it comes time for Jim Rome's radio deal to be renewed, if he might bolt to CBS Sports Radio because of him being there on TV already.

Granted ESPN had him for quite a while, and he was still doing radio for Premiere, but who's to say if things will change in the next couple years.
Click to expand...

I'm going to go with no on Rome and here's why. Rome's Premiere deal is for a LOT more money than his CBS deal. I don't think that Cumulus can make that profitable without forcing clearance of Rom eon all of their stations, while also holding on to his current affiliates.

Cumulus wouldn't be smart (of course, many would say they're not anyway) to force Rome on their stations because many of their stations are former Rome markets where he not only failed miserably, but profitable local shows replaced him. Knoxville and Nashville come to mind. I know in both of those markets, they had a great deal of trouble selling local ads for his show and do much better with local shows.

Brando is a separate issue, because of his timeslot, which has the least amount of local programming. Many stations that pay to carry Dan Patrick would probably be interested in pulling Brando in instead without an additional cost.

Before this announcement, I expected Yahoo to grow a lot, with their depth of writers and analysts.

The smartest thing CBS could do would be to double down and pay big for quality night and weekend hosts, because that is the only programming that is going to matter on a majority of their stations. I've never understood why Fox always neglected weekends so. That's the only time most listeners are tuned to the national shows.
 
11 months ago Gow re-branded Sporting News Radio to Yahoo! Sports Radio.
That lead to speculation and discussion about CBS & NBC getting into the sports radio game (game--get it...)

Looks like it came to fruition...

I can't see YSR lasting in it's current incarnation.
I am wondering if Brando and/or Czaban and/or other hosts join another network or if the entire network gets absorbed into another group.

Outside of the contracts of Brando and Czaban, the most interesting question is what kind (if any) of exclusivity/relationship does YSR have with the writers from Yahoo. Access to the writers from Yahoo may have a greater value to CBS or NBC than the benefit for Yahoo of having thier name associated with a small radio network.
 
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